Undercurrent | Recovery in the Pines
Have you ever been to the beach and stood in the water, just a few feet into the surf? As you stand and the waves move back and forth, the undercurrent, moving back toward the sea takes the sand out from under your feet, till you sink down or lose your footing.
This destruction of the foundation you stand on is what happens when there is an undercurrent of murmuring.
To murmur is to mumble a complaint, to grumble under your breath about things. This has happened to all of us and must be brought under control or our foundation will crumble. “I don’t like this class,” “The songs are to slow,” “The sermons are too simple,” etc.
In our human nature we oft times find it easy to complain. I remember as a manager, my junior managers found it easy to complain. I established a rule that if you have a complaint you also must have a solution in order to voice the complaint. Our staff meetings became much more productive. Amazing how quickly things improved when you change the focus from complaining to constructive work.
Acts 6:1″And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.”
In the early days of the church as the apostles worked to establish the kingdom, build it up and enlarge its borders, an undercurrent began to grow. Had there not been a solution provided, it would have eventually spilt these brethren. From this we can see that it can be a powerful enemy of unity. We also learn if we continue to read that they were able to solve the problem from among themselves and the apostles showed that a more important goal existed to stay focused on (the word of God).
It is a soul condemning sin.
The children of Israel were a perfect example for us; they complained and murmured with an awful undercurrent. They complained about water in the desert (Exodus 15:24); they complained about food (Exodus 16:2); they complained about the size of the inhabitants of the Promised Land and that they were afraid (Numbers 14:2); they even murmured about who had been chosen by God to lead them (Numbers 16:41). Keep in mind that this undercurrent came from those who had been freed from slavery and brought under the protective hand of God. In every case the punishment was swift and lethal.
The apostle Paul used these very examples as a way to teach the Christians in Corinth not to allow this very thing to happen to them (I Corinthians 10:1-13).
The understanding of the destructive power of undercurrent was not lost on the writers of the New Testament and we can note many passages that would teach against it as leading us to a swift and fearful punishment (Philippians. 2:14-15; Jude 16; etc.).
Solution:
Take a minute and make a comparison in the blessings you have received as a member of the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14), to those of the children of Israel that murmured before God. Were they blessed? Yes! Have you been blessed? Even more than they! Yet they murmured to their destruction and murmuring continues in this era of light by those who have been blessed.
Consider:
Hebrews 10:26-31 “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. He who despised Moses’ law died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who has said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”
So to overcome this dreadful undercurrent we as individuals must be busy in the work of the Lord. Let our time be consumed in good deeds. Prepare in advance for classes and make them interesting for yourself, sing with your heart to God and for His ears not your own. Be motivated to love your brethren even more and work harder on benevolence yourself.
You see that the solution lies with yourself!
I Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, inasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
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David Hicks is the Spiritual Director at Recovery in the Pines, the premier Christian-based, extended-care, addiction treatment center, located in Prescott, AZ, offering holistic wellness for drug and alcohol dependency. For more information about Recovery in the Pines, go to its website at: http://recoveryinthepines.com/ or call at: (928) 308-4311 or email at: info@recoveryinthepines.com
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